NO TEARS FOR ONION FARMERS AS YIELDS INCREASE BY 20%

“I’ve been farming for 20 years in Egypt and working with Olam for the past two seasons. During this period, myself and fellow farmers have been able to reduce water consumption, better control fungal diseases, increase our yield and drastically reduce waste during harvest which helped increase our overall productivity." Mohamed Ali, onion farmer, Western Desert, Egypt.

Mohamed is one of seven large-scale farmers that Olam is working with in Egypt to reduce the environmental footprint and increase productivity of the onion crop through improved farming practices.

The farmers have received training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), covering everything from crop rotation and correct land preparation, to integrated pest management and irrigation. They are then issued with an individual ‘Grower’s Guide’ to refer back to as they put their learnings into practice.

As a result, these farmers have seen their average yields increase by nearly 20% over the last two seasons, with the added benefit of cost savings from using 22% less water over the same period.

Through AtSource +, customers can track the environmental and social impact of their onion products - from fertiliser use, water and carbon footprint, to labour practices and financial support - from these farms right up to their doors.